On That First Night
by twilight37
Summary: In her freshman year of college, Bella Swan expected to do nothing but study and survive her freshman year boy free. But when her roommate invites her to a party one night, the fireworks aren't the only things with sparks flying.
1. Chapter 1

**I've been wanting to write a more… mature story while now. And when this hit me, I thought it would be a perfect, summer story. So, go on and read it. I hope that you like it!  
**

* * *

_BPOV_

"Well, that's the last of it." My dad, Charlie, said as we put the last of my four bags into the back of my little, red, Chevy truck.

I nodded my head, shoving my hands into the pockets of my lightweight, brown jacket.

"I just can't believe my baby girl is going off to college."

Forks, Washington was the small town that I had grown to know and love. While I hated the trees and green foliage at first, I couldn't imagine living without it. I was so used to waking up to the dreary, cloudy skies, and looking out my window to see trees, grass, and a sunless world.

Now, when I looked out my window, I would see the busy, city life.

I was sending myself off to Chicago for my college life. I had worked so hard to get the journalism program at Northwestern University, and I'll be the first to admit, that I was beyond excited when I was accepted with a full ride academic scholarship.

It would be weird without Charlie. It wouldn't feel right not making dinner for him every night, or listening to the hum of the football game from the living room. I would miss his similar personality to my own, and I would even miss sharing a bathroom with him.

"Dad," I said, trying to ignore the tight feeling in my stomach, "it's not like I'm leaving forever. I'm going to visit every chance I get."

Every chance I got wouldn't be often; the drive from Forks to Chicago was just over a day and a half, and it wasn't like I could fly down every weekend. I just don't have that kind of money.

He cleared his throat, the rims of his eyes looking red and watery. "Well, I guess this is it, Bells."

I nodded and walked towards him, running into my dad's arms. He pulled me close to him, like he was never going to let go.

"I'm going to miss you, daddy." I whimpered, fighting back tears.

"Don't get all worked up over me." He squeezed me tightly one more time before pulling back. "You better get on the road. You've got a long drive ahead of you and I don't want you driving too late at night."

I looked at my dad and laughed breathlessly under my breath. Even at times like this, he was still the same, overprotective father he had always been.

"Alright, dad." I told him. "I guess… I'll see you later, then."

I yanked open the door of my truck and pulled myself into the driver's seat. Charlie stepped out of the way, watching as I backed the car out of the driveway. As I took one last look at my father, I saw him wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Oh, dad…" I said to myself, a tear escaping from my eye.

This really was it.

I wasn't a little girl anymore. I didn't have to hold onto my parents hands anymore and let them guide me. I was my own person now, going onto the next chapter of my life all by myself.

There was absolutely nobody that I knew in Chicago. I would be an outsider stuck in a big city.

In an attempt to drone out my thoughts, I turned on the radio and blasted it as loud as it would go. I sang along to every word, nearly screaming them as I drove down the empty freeway.

If I knew the song, then I sang along.

While I screamed out the words to "I Like It" I noticed that I was running low - very low - on gas. How I hadn't noticed that the arrow was hovering only inches away from Empty had blown my mind, but I quickly drove to the nearest gas station.

I turned the car off and started pumping gas into my car.

Much to my liking, the gas station was playing music, so I slowly swayed my hips back and forth as I waited for the gas, that was going to cost a fortune, to fill up my car.

Someone beside me laughed.

I looked from the corner of my eye and blushed when I was an extraordinarily tall man staring at me. His skin was naturally tanned; his eyes dark and narrowed. He looked young, about my age, but the chubby cheeks from his youth were still obvious in his face.

"Sorry." I mumbled it under my breath.

"Trust me, I don't mind." He winked. "Jacob, by the way."

I gave him a half smile. "Bella."

Jacob looked down at his motorcycle for a quick moment before he walked over towards me, leaning his hand against a pole nearby.

"So, where are you headed?"

"What makes you think I'm headed somewhere?" I asked, yanking the nozzle out of my car and putting it back up.

He shrugged. "Well, for one, you're a pretty woman at a gas station by herself… and you have suitcases in your passenger side."

"Is it really any of your business?"

Jacob bit his lip and followed me as I walked into the little store to pay for my gas. He followed me like a lost little puppy.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me." He said. "But can I at least buy you some coffee?"

"Are you seriously trying to hit on me at a gas station?" I teased, handing the woman my credit card. She swiped it and handed it back to me. I put it back in my purse and headed back towards my car.

Jacob continued to follow me.

"I guess I am."

I sighed. "I'm heading to Chicago."

I opened my car door and got inside. The car windows were rolled down, so Jacob leaned inside, grinning widely.

"City girl, eh?" He winked. "I like it."

"Bye Jacob." I told him, rolling my eyes and driving out of the small gas station. Though I wasn't looking at him, I could feel his eyes on my beat up, old, pickup truck as I drove away.

Continuing my drive down the road, the sad feeling from earlier had subsided. I felt happy and anxious to see my new home for the next year, and to meet my roommate. I hope that my roommate is more like me; quiet and not the party type. The kind of girl who just sits and reads all night.

But then again, if she does like to party, maybe then I'll get the dorm to myself on the weekends, which would be nice.

Soon, night began to fall over the beautiful sunset.

Night had always been my favorite time to drive. It was relaxing and calming. There are not as many people are out and about, and when you're cruising down the freeway, you're free to relax and just think.

I couldn't drive for too much longer, though. As much as I had wanted to, I had promised my dad that I wouldn't drive past midnight; and in our house, a promise is a promise.

Once eleven thirty had hit, I started looking around for a hotel to stop for the night. Anything would work, as long as it was cheap. I drove down the busy road, staring at all of the hotels. Most of their prices were outrageous; who wants to pay two hundred dollars for a dingy little hotel?

A hotel at the end of the strip didn't have an advertised price. It looked nice, from the outside, at least. I parked my car out front and went inside.

There was a man behind the desk, wearing a dark green jacket with a white, button down shirt underneath. He smiled as I approached him. "How can I help you?"

"I was just wondering what your rates were." I told him. "I just need the smallest thing you have."

"Just you, I'm assuming?" He typed into his computer. "One seventy five."

"Oh…" I said. "Sorry, that's just a bit too expensive for my liking -"

"Well, we do have a discount. Spend the night with me and you get a room for free." He winked.

Disgusted, I turned, fiercely knocking his hand off of me, and stormed back to my car in absolute outrage. Why did men think that they could pick me up all the time? I didn't know what they saw in me. I just an average looking girl.

My skin was light as ivory, without the excuse of red hair or green eyes. My hair was long and straight, falling down to my waist, while my eyes were big and brown. I didn't have the body of a runner, or the height of a model.

I was just me.

Having no where else to go, I pulled into the dark corner of a twenty four hour restaurant parking lot, and parked my car, locking all the doors. I grabbed a blanket and pillow from my bags, and crawled into the small, cramped backseat of my car.

My first night on my own and I don't even have a bed to sleep.

I just tucked myself in, and told myself goodnight, hoping that things would be better in the morning.

* * *

"Excuse me, miss?" I heard as someone tapped on my window.

I shot up, slamming my head against the hood of the car. I cursed under my breath and put my hand against my head. Then, rolling the window down, looked at the little old woman standing outside my window.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright." She said.

I nodded slowly and sat up, pushing my blankets off of my legs.

"Did you sleep in your car?"

"Yeah…" I said groggily.

"Oh, you poor thing!" She exclaimed. "Come on in. I'll make you a nice breakfast, free of charge."

As much as I wanted to refuse, I didn't. My stomach was grumbling, and a cup of steaming hot coffee sounded amazing, especially after spending a night cramped in the back seat of your car.

I put my hair up in a messy bun and followed her into the tiny restaurant. The smell of pancakes and maple syrup hit me as soon as I walked in, only increasing my raging appetite.

"You look like you need caffeine." She said, pushing a cup of coffee my way. "The name's Mary, by the way."

"Bella." I answered, taking a sip of the plain, black coffee.

"Well, Bella, what's a girl like you doing spending the night in her?"

I explained how I was on my way to Northwestern in Chicago and had been looking for a place to stay. But after not wanting to pay the expensive hotel fees and being hit on by the creepy guy down the road, I pulled into a parking lot and slept there.

Mary frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that, darling."

She asked some more questions while she cooked up my breakfast; what are you majoring in? Do you have a boyfriend? I answered them all as honestly as I could. She had been so nice to me, and it was only fair that I returned the gesture.

After finished my plate of pancakes, I was stuffed.

Mary gave me a to go cup of coffee and smiled as I walked out of the door.

"Come back soon!" She called out.

"I will."

The next few hours in my car were, thankfully, uneventful. There were no more traumatizing events with men at any of the places I had stopped at, which was fine by me. I didn't like it when people gave me too much attention; it made me feel uncomfortable.

Once I had finally gotten into Chicago, the nerves returned with vengeance.

Thoughts began racing through my mind, and a tight feeling seized my stomach as I drove closer and closer to the school I would be staying at for the next year.

I gasped when I saw the school for the first time.

It looked like a castle. Huge trees surrounded the elegant white building, with veins dancing across the exterior. Large windows were placed perfectly on each side, and a tower stood tall among the buildings. Students walked by, paying no attention to me as I drove by. Though a sign was hung from the main doors that read: Freshman Orientation.

I took a deep breath and forced myself out of the car, and adjusted my brown purse on my hip as I walked into the beautiful building.

A low hum of chatter filled the room that was set up to get all the freshman oriented. There was a table for clubs to sign up for, and sports to try out for. There was a 'meet the teachers' station as well as course information. But what I was looking for - dorm information - was in the very far corner.

I waited in line behind two guys; one with blonde, curly hair and the other with short, dark curly hair.

They walked away and I looked at the woman behind the desk.

"Hi…um, Bella Swan?"

She looked down, tracing her finger among the list of names. She flipped the paper four or five names and scanned the sheet again before she looked up at me with a big, welcoming smile on her face.

"Hi, Bella." She greeted. "My name is Emma and I'm going to be your dorm advisor. You'll be rooming with Alice Brandon - " She pointed to a tiny girl standing by the club table, "and your room number is 113. Here's your key." Emma dropped the key in my hand. "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. Or just read your handbook."

I thanked her and walked away from the table, putting the little key in my pocket.

Seeing as how she would be roommate for the next year, I walked over to the little girl with the spiky black hair.

"Um, Alice?"

She turned and smiled at me. "Let me guess… Bella?"

I nodded.

"You're… you're a very quiet girl who… loves to read?" She guessed.

When I laughed, and jumped up and down happily.

"And Alice Brandon still has the magic touch!" She said aloud. "Sorry, I can read people pretty easily. It's kind of fun, even though it scares some people off."

So I was stuck with the very excitable, loves-to-party kind of roommate.

"Come on, let's go check out our dorm."

The two of us walked out of the crowded building and back outside into the hot, summer air. We stopped by both of our cars to grab our stuff before we made our way to our dorm room, which I'll admit, I was kind of excited to see.

I knew it would be small, and in about a week by now, I would give anything for my big bed at home, and the privacy of my house, but for now, I didn't care,

We walked down the hall, Alice calling out the room numbers as the went in descending order.

"…and one thirteen!" She called out, putting the key into the door and pushing it open.

The first thing that I noticed was the window, which was on the far wall, with two twin beds on the opposite wall, and two matching dresser in between. On the far wall was a mirror and a sink, with a little door to the right; the bathroom.

It was smaller than I had hoped, and it wasn't even decorated nicely.

The walls were all white, and the furniture was a boring oak. Even the sink was the same boring white color as the rest of the room.

"Hm." Alice said. "We could definitely do something about the decoration. We for sure have time for it since they made up get up here a three weeks before classes even start!"

"Yeah, it is a little plain." I admitted, dropping my bags on the bed furthest from the door. I pulled out my book, Wuthering Heights, and plopped it on the mattress.

Alice pulled out her shiny phone and pressed a few buttons. "And I would do it tonight, but… I've got somewhere to be." She admitted. "A few of us are going down to the lake - my best friend who I haven't seen in ages and some of her friends. It's not too far away. Did you want to come?"

My first night at college and my roommate is already inviting me to a party?

"I don't know, I was really just going to read my - "

"Come on, Bella!" She walked over to me and sat on my bed. "It'll be fun."

I sighed. "What time?"

"Not for a while. Around ten." Alice said, quickly. "Does this mean you'll come?"

"… oh, why not?"

Alice squealed and jumped up from my bed. She put her phone to her ear, obviously on the phone with someone. She told the person how she had invited her roommate, me, to come down to the lake tonight.

I began putting all of my things away while she talked on the phone. No need to stand there awkwardly while she jabbered on the phone with her friend. I folded all of my pants, shorts, and the few skirts I owned, and claimed the right side of the closet to be mine for my shirts.

After putting my sheets on the bed, I began to feel a little more comfortable in my dorm.

Glancing at the clock, I realized it was only six. Sighing, I pulled out my book and started reading where I had left off; page seventy six.

I had a problem when I was reading. Once I started, I was so lost in what was happening in the world of heroic romances and tragedies, that I lost track of time in the real world. Before I knew it, my new roommate was nagging at me to start getting ready to go.

"I think I'll be fine in this." I told her, looking down at my knee length shorts and lightweight jacket.

She shook her head, walking towards my drawers and rummaging through them. She threw me a pair of high waisted shorts and a big t-shirt.

"Will I need a bathing suit?" I asked.

She shook her head. "We're just going to have a bonfire and talk and… stuff."

I raised my eyebrow, but didn't question her. I locked myself in the backroom and dropped my clothes to the ground. After changing into the turquoise shorts, and yanking the t-shirt over my head, I fixed my long hair and walked out.

"Cute." Alice said, walking over to me and putting a hat on my head.

So she loved to party and loved to play dress up.

As long as I wasn't the victim for both, I was fine.

It was apparent that the both of us were ready to go, so we locked up the dorm, and went to Alice's car. She had volunteered to drive, only because she knew where she was going and was a lot more familiar with the city.

So I crawled into the passenger seat and looked out the window as Alice drove and continued to talk about how excited she was to see her friend, Rosalie, again.

"She brought her brother, Jasper; her boyfriend Emmett, and his little brother, Edward." She told me. "They all go to school here, but this is Rose and Emmett's last year. Edward is a freshman like us, though. Jasper's a sophomore."

"Have you met him?" I asked. "Edward, I mean."

She shook her head. "Can't say I have."

When we had reached the lake, Alice parked her car on the dirt road and jumped out of the car. I followed quickly behind, already feeling like the odd one out in her group of friends.

"Hey guys!" Alice called out, running towards the bonfire.

A beautiful blonde with flowing golden hair and big blue eyes squealed and ran towards Alice. The girl, who I assumed was Rosalie, towered over her as she hugged her long lost best friend.

"I can't believe you're here!" Rosalie called out. She looked at me and smiled. "Is this Bella?"

Alice nodded. "Come on, Bella, don't be shy. I promise they don't bite."

She introduced me to everyone.

There was Rosalie, the strikingly beautiful super model, and her boyfriend Emmett, who was an insanely muscular, broad guy with dark hair. Jasper was the one with honey blonde curly hair, and Edward was the boy standing next to him with the green eyes and the messy, bronze hair.

I waved to them all.

"What are we waiting for?" Emmett asked in a booming voice. "Let's get this party started!"

We all started off by roasting marshmallows over the flaming fire. I talked to Alice and Rosalie, and ended up laughing the entire time. With Alice's bubbly personality, and Rosalie's bold, fearless persona, they were hilarious.

I found out that Emmett was a total goofball, who Jasper continually tried to tame. And Edward sat in the middle of it all, laughing at this and that, listening into conversations and smiling at the things we said.

An hour into roasting marshmallows, Emmett stood up and smiled. "Alright, now it's time for the fun stuff."

I looked over at Rosalie, who simply rolled her eyes.

"Fireworks!"

"Every time we come out to the lake, he brings fireworks." She told me. "I don't know why, but it's kind of like a tradition now."

"Is it even legal?" I asked.

She laughed. "Who cares?"

Emmett set up the fireworks while the rest of us dumped water from the lake onto the fire to put it out. Fireworks are a million times better when it's completely dark anyway; when it's nothing but you, a couple of friends, and a show to light up the night.

"Should we do it like last year?" I heard Rosalie asked Alice once the fire was out. There was nothing but the small embers left in the fire pit.

"Oh… that'd be fun." She agreed. "Emmett, wait! We're going to do what we did last year."

What they did last year?

Soon, everyone was standing around in a circle, agreeing on doing what they had all done 'last year'. Of course, I wasn't there last year and I had no idea what they were talking about.

"Alice?" I asked. "What's going on?"

"Well, you see - "

Somewhere in the distance, I heard someone unzipping their pants, and a belt buck falling to the floor. Whoever it was threw the rest of their clothes on the floor and jumped into the lakes icy water.

Oh.

"Ever been skinny dipping?" Rosalie teased, bumping my hip.

Oh my god. Did they actually expect me to get naked in front of everyone? I hardly knew these people! It was already embarrassing enough changing in front of everyone in gym, and now this?

There was no way I was doing this.

One by one I heard more splashes, which meant that everyone was getting in the water. Except for me.

"Come on, Bella!" Emmett called. "It's fun; I promise!"

Soon each and every one of them were calling for me to get in with them. I hesitated for a moment, not sure what to do. Then, after being hit with a burst of adrenaline, or maybe influenced by peer pressure, I pulled my shirt over my head. Everyone cheered as I stripped down, dropping my clothes on the ground under me. I then stood on the edge and did a cannonball into the dark water.

The water freezing, almost to the point of being unbearable.

I gasped, my head bobbing up from water and I swam towards the group.

"Way to be brave." Rosalie complimented, then turned to Emmett, kissing him on the lips. "Go set up the fireworks, babe."

For the next fifteen minutes, we all splashed around in the water, swimming in the dark lake and talking while Emmett set up all the fireworks for us to watch.

"Edward keeps staring at you." Alice whispered to me when we were out of earshot from everyone else.

I looked up and, sure enough, the faint outline of the bronze haired boy made it clear that he was looking in my direction.

My hands instinctively crossed my chest. "So?"

She laughed. "So, what? He's cute, you're cute…"

"I don't even know the guy."

"Well… that could change."

Suddenly, there was a huge splash in the pool. I looked over and saw Emmett swimming over to all of us. He said that the fireworks were all set off to explode any minute now.

Sure enough, when we were least expecting it, the first firework exploded in the night sky. I stared up in awe as the dark night suddenly came alive with color and inspiration.

At one point during the firework spectacular, I glanced over at Edward, who stood on the complete opposite side of me. Our eyes locked across the night, fireworks crackling as we looked at one another.

He took a step towards me.

Just then, the faint sound of sirens wailing in the distance took us all by surprise. The blue, white, and red lights were coming closer and closer by the second.

All of us looked at each other before we scrambled out the lake. I half ran as I threw my clothes back on, not even caring that my arm wasn't even in my shirt by the time we had reached the car.

The police cars were ten feet away; I could see them just turning the corner.

Alice screamed at me to get into the car, and began driving even before I had slammed my car door shut.

We both laughed as we drove away, in complete hysterics from almost being caught by the police. For skinny dipping and letting off fireworks. I knew that it was illegal all along, and Rosalie screamed at Emmett for it while they ran for their car.

I sighed and relaxed a little, now that we were away from the scene of the crime. I reached into my pocket for my key, and I froze.

My key was gone.

"Shit." I said aloud.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Alice, we have turn back, now. My key isn't in my pocket. I must have left it at the lake." I told her in a state of panic.

"I have mine, it's - "

"No, if they find that key, they can trace it back to school. If they trace it back to school, they can trace it to our room. They trace it to our room… we're screwed."

A look of horror washed over her face.

"What are we going to do?"

I thought for a moment before I came up with a plan.

We would park a good fifty feet away from the lake. The cops were probably still there investigating, and there's no way we could risk pulling up to the lake. She would wait in the car while I snuck through the bushes. I would snatch my key, go back, and we'd make a mad dash.

She agreed to my plan and turned the car around, leaving it by the side of the road, ready to go when I returned.

I took a deep breath and stealthily tiptoed towards the trees. I could see the bright lights of the sirens even from hear. Being extraordinarily, I hid behind branches and bushes as I crept closer and closer to the lake.

The cops were a good twenty feet away, and I could see my key from here. It was just out of my reach, which meant I would have to leave the bushes to go get it.

"Shit." I whispered.

When the coast was clear, I very careful crawled on the floor, praying that none of them would look in my direction. If they did, I was screwed.

The second my hand was around the key, I turned and crawled quickly back into the bushes, appearing to be unnoticed. I did a mental victory dance and stood up, only to knock my head on a tree branch up above.

"Oomph!" I cried, falling and tumbling to the ground. I rolled out of the pushes and onto the ground. The group of cops turned to look at me.

Cover blown.

I jumped to my feet and made a mad dash for it. Unfortunately, I didn't make it. I ran right smack into one of the biggest police officers I had ever seen.

I gulped.

"Well, well, little missy… what do we have here?"

"Um… well, you see, I was - "

"Bella, there you are!" Someone called from behind. We all turned to look, and a familiar bronze haired, green eyed boy was walking towards me. He ran up to us.

"Who know this girl?" The officer asked.

"Yes! She's my sister. A bit bad in the head, but I do love her." Edward sighed. "I was changing a flat fire when she saw those fireworks… I guess she wandered off to go find them."

The officer frowned and pushed me towards Edward.

"Take her home, and keep a better eye on her next time!"

Edward put his arm around me and walked me away from the police invested lake. I looked up at his with thankful eyes but didn't say anything until we were far away from the commotion.

"Thank you so much for that."

"Anytime. Can I ask why you went back?"

I explained about my key and held it up for him to see. He laughed and rolled his eyes. I had only just know noticed that his arm was still around me. For some reason, I didn't care.

We were soon back to Alice's car. I waved to him and went over to the passenger seat.

"What was that all about?"

I just shook my head and smiled. Clutching the key in my hand, I knew one thing for sure:

College was going to be fun.

* * *

**I hope that you guys like it! Let me know if you want me to continue by reviewing. (:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the feedback last chapter. I really appreciate it! I just thought I'd let you know that this is one of the many stories I'm working on at the moment, so I don't know how often I'll be able to update. But... I hope you enjoy this chapter. (:**

* * *

_BPOV  
_

I tossed and turned all night.

In general, I was a fairly flexible person. I wasn't, and never have been, too picky. Until it comes down to sleeping arrangements.

The room needed to be pitch black and freezing cold. As long as I was wrapped up in the comfort of my warm, freesia smelling comforters, I felt safe and warm.

But sleeping in a new room, with a person a barely knew only five feet away from me made me feel uncomfortable.

This wasn't my room. This wasn't my house.

The sudden feeling of homesickness washed over me. I felt sick to my stomach at the thought that I wouldn't see my dad everyday. Tears rolled down my cheeks and fell onto my pillow, staining the blue case.

Glancing over at the clock made me want to bang my head against the wall repeatedly. It was only four in the morning, and the cafeteria for breakfast didn't open until six.

I sniffled and buried my face into my pillow.

I realized that there was no way I would ever be able to stay in this room, and not knowing if my roommate was an earlier or late riser, I pulled myself out of bed. Now seemed like an appropriate time to get breakfast.

I threw my long hair into a messy bun and snuck out of the door.

Honestly, I didn't care how horrible I looked. No other eighteen year old in their sane mind would be down at the cafeteria getting breakfast this goddamn early.

It took me fifteen minutes to finally find the cafeteria, but once I did, I walked in and grabbed a tray, yawning as I grabbed some cereal.

"Bella?" A familiar voice called.

I spun on one heel and gasped when I saw a pair of green eyes staring back at me.

He wore black, Nike shorts and a sweat stained, white, short sleeved t-shirt. His bronze hair was messier than it was last night, something I didn't think possible. Even from this distance, I could hear him breathing heavily.

"Edward!" I called out, surprised.

He smiled and ran over to me, a happy bound to his stride. "What are you doing up so early? Nice pajamas by the way." He winked at me.

My cheeks flushed. "Couldn't sleep." I rolled my eyes. "And you?"

Edward shrugged and grabbed a bottle of water as he moved down the line of food. I filled up a cup of coffee and placed it on my tray.

"Just up for an early run." He said. "I'm on the cross country team. We have conditioning really in the morning, before it gets hot, you know. Most of the guys go back to bed, but I come and get breakfast. I guess I'm just an early riser."

I noticed that we were both walking towards one of the many empty tables.

I took a sip of my coffee. The aftermath of my sleepless night was finally starting to hit me. My eyelids felt droopy and my body felt weak and achy.

"So, what are you majoring in?" Edward asked.

"Journalism." I said with a smile. "I've always loved writing. It was either this or English… but journalism seemed more me. What about you?"

"Criminal Justice. I want to work for the FBI."

I let out an impressive whistle.

Edward just laughed.

My coffee was gone now, leaving me with the bland cereal that sat in front of me. I sighed and opened the little box, throwing a handful of cheerios into my mouth.

"Nice." Edward pointed out.

"I know." I laughed. "I actually hate cereal with milk. It's okay plain, but still not my favorite."

I sighed and picked up my tray and headed towards the trashcan. I hadn't even noticed that Edward had followed me there until I dropped my food in and found him standing by the wall, his arms shoved in his pocket.

"Oh! You scared me." I put my hand to my heart and shook my head. "I should probably get going, though. I don't want Alice to think I was kidnapped or something."

"Okay, but, um… Bella?" He asked, nervously.

"Yeah?"

He shuffled his feet around on the ground for a moment before catching my eye again. He gave me a small, half smile. "Do you want to maybe… hang out later? Maybe go for dinner. I promise I won't make you eat cereal." He winked.

Had Edward Cullen just asked me out on a date? Me, Bella Swan, the one who hasn't had so much as a relationship since seventh grade, on a date?

I froze in a state of panic.

Originally, when I had imagined my freshman year of college, I had pictured it completely guy free. It wasn't the time to be dating a different guy every few months; it was a time to be focusing entirely on my studies.

"I was actually going to… study and read today."

He raised one eyebrow. "Classes don't start for weeks."

"I know." I admitted. "But I like reading ahead in the textbook." I laughed at myself. "Go ahead, call it nerdy. I know I do."

Edward shook his head. "I think it's kind of cute."

A blush crept onto my cheeks.

"Well, if you can't make it to dinner, I'll just have to make dinner come to you." He teased. "And we can study together. How does tonight at seven sound?"

"But journalism isn't your major!"

"I know." He winked again.

And with that, Edward Cullen walked out of the cafeteria, leaving me standing there, completely infatuated by his mysterious presence.

There was something about him that made him so intriguing to me.

Maybe it was his appearance. I don't say this about many guys, but he's very… nice looking! I had a better look at him today than I had last night, and he was even more attractive that I had thought.

Long eyelashes framed his sparkling green eyes, that popped against his pale complexion. His hair was a strange color, - one that I had never seen before - and was that of a penny. A copper… or a bronze. And it was messy! He was very tall, and lanky, though I could see his muscles through his white, cotton shirt.

He was nice looking… very nice looking…

I mentally slapped myself for daydreaming about this boy. I had no intentions of starting a relationship with anybody at this school. I would not allow it.

I groaned out loud, and after putting my blue tray away, walked back to my dorm. I pulled my key out of my pocket and unlocked the door, walking inside.

Alice was laying on her bed with the television turned on. Her tiny feet were kicked up into the air and her eyes were glued to the flashing screen.

She looked up at me and smiled. "Hey Bella! Where did you go?"

"Oh, I was up early so I decided to go down and get some breakfast…" I told her. "Sorry. I should've left a note."

She threw her head back. "Nah, you're fine."

I nodded and took a seat on my own bed. Realizing that it was only eight in the morning, I fell back onto my pillows and sighed. I was not used to being up this early.

"Someone looks tired." Alice pointed out.

"Some didn't get much sleep last night." I groaned.

My bed seemed a million times more comfortable now. I was still in my pajamas, so I curled up under the warm sheets and squeezed my eyes shut.

Alice looked over at me. "I'm going to go get some food now. And I was actually going to go shopping with Rosalie later… I would invite you, but you look a little tired…"

"Go without me." I told her. I didn't like shopping anyway.

She spend another fifteen minutes getting dressed and doing her makeup before she called out "goodbye" to me and walked out of the door.

And it was silent.

Suddenly, I didn't care that it was bright outside. I didn't care that it wasn't freezing cold or that I didn't have my big, thick comforters from home.

I was too exhausted to care. I fell into a deep sleep without a care in the world.

Hours later, I woke up, rolling over on my pillow and sighing heavily.

Glancing at the clock, I realized that it was one in the afternoon, which meant that I had slept for an extra five hours - not as much as I usually got, but it was enough to satisfy me.

The dorm was silent and completely empty, which meant that Alice was still off shopping with her friends. Still.

Eternally thankful that I had an excuse to bail out of her day long shopping trip, I pulled myself out of bed and stretched my arms into the air. I felt much more refreshed now that I had gotten a decent amount of sleep.

I flipped on the lights and walked into the tiny, cramped bathroom, then turned on the shower. Once the steam had filled the room, I dropped my clothes onto the ground and stepped into the steaming water.

The hot water felt amazing as it loosened the muscles in my back.

After washing my hair with my sweet smelling strawberry shampoo and conditioner, I walked out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around my body. I lathered lotion on, brushed through my incredibly tangled hair, and dressed in brown and black plaid shorts with a white, short sleeved shirt.

I looked in the mirror and smiled.

It had only been forty five minutes since I had woken up, which left me with another five hours until Edward came.

Staying in our dorm all day didn't sound fun, and neither did wondering aimlessly around the campus. So, grabbing my tattered copy of Wuthering Heights and a small blanket, I walked out of the room.

I wandered towards a small grassy area, shaded by a big oak tree and lied my blank on the ground. After making sure it was perfect, I lay down and opened my book right to where I had left off.

There was a warm, summer breeze that blew my hair as I sat and read.

Perfectly content and happy, I continued reading.

Though, being nestled in the calming outside world with the comfort of my book in my hands, I snuggled into my blanket and shut my eyes.

I hadn't planned on falling asleep again. But the next thing I knew, I opened my eyes and the sun was beginning to fall into the orange, yellow, and purple sky.

"Shit!" I cried aloud, scrambling to my feet.

I yanked the blanket into my hands, my book in the other, and sprinted back towards my dorm. I had no idea what time it was, but I was praying that it wasn't after seven. By the time I got there, I was out of breath and more than likely a complete mess.

As I approached the door, I saw someone else walking towards my room.

Edward.

I smiled and walked up to him. He smiled back at me and held up a few boxes of food in the air. "I hope that you like sushi."

"I've never had it before." I told him, putting the key into the door.

"You're going to love it."

I hope that hadn't thought bad of me for walking back to my room the same time that he had gotten here. That was the last thing that I wanted him to think about me; I would never in a million years stand him, or someone else, up.

"Sorry about the mess." I apologized as we walked in.

My bed was still unmade, and a pile of clothes sat in the corner of the room.

"Don't worry, I share a room with Emmett." He chuckled lightly. "This is nothing compared to our room."

I laughed and took the food and put it on the little bedside table.

"I hope you don't mind eating on my bed." I told him.

Edward flashed me another smile. "I'm fine with eating anywhere. I'm just so hungry."

The two of us plopped onto my bed and opened the boxes of sushi, being extra careful not to drop anything. He handed me a pair of chopsticks which I had absolutely no idea how to use. Edward showed me how to use them, and watched as I slowly put the sushi mouth.

I could hardly taste the raw fish wrapped in the rice and seaweed. I chewed and swallowed, surprisingly loving the taste.

"Oh my god, that's amazing." I said, laughing.

"See? I told you you'd like it."

The sushi didn't last very long. Edward and I both devoured it within a matter of minutes. We talked as we ate, and I found myself having an amazing time with him, which is something that I hoped wouldn't happen.

"So, I believe that I supposed to study with you." Edward reminded me with a smirk.

"Well, if you really want to learn about writing, communication, and things that are irrelevant to what you're majoring in… then sure. Or we could read Wuthering Heights."

"Literature is not my thing." He said very seriously. "The textbook it is."

I jumped up from the bed and went to find my textbooks, which was neatly stacked on my closet floor. I grabbed the first one I saw - What is Journalism - and brought it over to Edward, who was sitting nicely on my bed.

I opened the book to a random page and began reading aloud.

"'In the United States for the last half century or so the question, 'what is journalism for?' has rarely been asked by citizens or journalists…"

As I read, I felt Edward's eyes staring at me. A blush crept along my ivory cheeks as she leaned closer to me, playing with a strand of my long, dark brown hair. At that point, I found it difficult to concentrate on what I was reading. I stammered over my words and rereads sentences that I knew I had already read.

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked up at me again. My words faded in mid-sentence, and I stopped to look at him too.

Edward hesitated for a moment, as though judging what my reaction might be to what he was about to do. He bit his lip while I glanced down at the floor for a split second, feeling afraid to look him in the eye.

His fingers brushed along the side of my cheek, and he held my face in his hands.

My heart thudded in my chest, and I was almost sure that he could hear it.

He leaned in, closing his beautiful green eyes and pressed his lips softly against mine. His nose brushed against mine, and I could feel the soft warmth from his skin as we sat on my bed, textbook in hand, sharing our first kiss.

I had never kissed a guy before, and I hadn't planned on it happening for a while.

But, as our lips moved together as one, I found myself enjoying the cool touch of his lips against mine. I felt a spark rush through me as he dropped his hand onto my shoulder and pulled away. Our noses were still pressed together, both of our eyes closed.

I let out a quiet, breath.

His eyes snapped open, and he looked at me with a sheepish, crooked smile.

I leaned back and sat crisscrossed, with my hands in between my legs. I let my hair create a dark curtain between the two of us and touched the lips he had just kissed.

"Sorry about that…" He said.

"Oh, no… I mean…" I sighed. "I was not planning on that happening."

Edward raised one eyebrow.

"I don't mean that in a bad way." I reassured him. "I just had this idea about my freshman year of college and I didn't plan meeting some perfect guy in it." I laughed at myself. But now…"

"But now…?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

Edward leaned forward and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Sometimes following everything according to a plan doesn't work out very well."

"What are you trying to say?"

He looked up at the ceiling, as though thinking about how to play with his words. "I'm saying that you should go with what you feel; listen to your heart."

I couldn't believe that I was actually having this conversation with him.

"Take some time to think about it." Edward suggested, giving me an encouraging smile, and squeezing my hand one more time before he stood up to leave. "Until then… bye, Bella."

Once he was gone, I let my head drop into my pillow and rolled around my bed, not sure whether to be in complete bliss or utterly stressed out.

Going according to plan works out for me. I like following strict schedules and knowing what's going to happen ahead of time. I like being one step ahead of schedule and making sure that things turn out perfectly in the end. This probably why I've never liked about relationships: you just never know.

Edward seemed like a good guy. More than good, he was seemingly perfect. And I knew that he would be good to me, and would be right for me, but I just can't stand the feeling of never knowing where things are going. I don't like falling in love without knowing how he feels too.

I groaned out loud and laid with my head falling off of the bed, letting all of the bed rush to my head.

So many decisions, so little time.

* * *

**Shorter than last chapter, I know, but I hope that you like****d it! The parts with Bella and Edward practically wrote themselves. I barely even thought… it just came to me. Weird, huh? Anyway, the song "Mine" by Taylor Swift is just a glimpse of how Bella is feeling, if you want to check it out. **

**Don't forget to review! Xoxo. (:**


	3. Soon

**Hey guys! (Sorry. Annoying author's note.) **

**I've had a few people come and ask me about this story - some of you pestering me to update - and I thought I should come and say this! YES. I plan on continuing with this story.**

**But at the moment I'm extremely busy. I'm working on two stories at the moment, and this one just got pushed to the side. My summer break starts up soon, and I hope to be back to updating then!**

**Sorry for the long wait. Keep posted. Check out my other stories while you wait. Some popular ones are People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine and On This Road. (:**

**See you soon! I'm excited to start writing again.**

**Xoxo,  
****Halley.  
****(Follow me on twitter for updates, or if you'd like to ask me questions with a fairly quick response…. halleybrown13).**


	4. Help!

**Another Author's Note. I'm so sorry. I need your opinions.**

**So, I said I would write this story over summer. Right? Well, it's summer now, and I'm ready to write… but I've thought of something new… and I thought I would show you guys the new idea. You guys can pick which one you'd like to read more. Either or is fine with me. Sorry for being so difficult. :P**

**Original Idea: Sparks fly when Edward and Bella meet during their freshman year old college. Their quick connection quickly progresses to a long lasting romance between the two. The story will follow them through their years of college.**

**New Idea: Edward and Bella are both single parents with (five year old) kids in the same class. When they discover their kids have a little crush on each other, the two end up sparking a connection of their own. **

**So, it's up to you guys. If you want the original one, I'll write it. Because I promised. And if you want the new one, I'll write it too! Let me know in the reviews down below… the first chapter of the two story will (probably?) be posted today!**

**Xoxo,  
Halley.**


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